


Just Go With It

by rox2the_anne



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch Is Gay for Simon Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 10:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17959031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rox2the_anne/pseuds/rox2the_anne
Summary: Baz has been dumped and feels like he lost his only chance at happiness. Simon, ever the hero, tries to help. A fake relationship and awkwardness ensues.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know I said that this was going to be short... It's not. There will be 4 chapters. Maaaaybe 5.
> 
> I just have a lot of feelings. I hope you like it!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Comments and/or Kudos are always appreciated. (They're my lifeblood.)

**CHAPTER 1: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH**

 

_BAZ_

I am never leaving this bed, and I am _never_ answering that phone. I don’t care how many times it rings. I hear my roommate bounding up the stairs like a golden retriever, so I pull my comforter up over my head before he opens the door.  
“Ugh. You’re _still_ in bed?” he grumbles.  
_Hello to you too_ , I think.  
“Fuck off, Snow,” I snap in his direction.  
He doesn’t say anything, just heaves out an overly dramatic sigh. I hear his footsteps cross the room, then I hear him open the curtains.  
My phone starts ringing again and I groan, grabbing my pillow and shoving it over my head and holding it there. Snow grumbles something, but it’s so muffled I can’t tell what it is.  
Suddenly, my pillow is wrenched out of my grip. I glare up at him with murder on my mind.  
“I am going to kill you,” I tell him.  
“You have to get up first,” he says.  
“Why do you even care?” I gripe, turning away from him.  
“Because… I don’t… I’m a concerned citizen, okay? This isn’t healthy.” I feel the weight of Snow sitting on my bed. I’m about to tell him to get the hell off when my phone starts ringing again.  
“Baz, answer your mobile,” Snow says thrusting my phone in my face. I give him a vulgar gesture and turn over on my stomach.  
Snow sighs yet again then clears his throat, “Baz’s phone, Simon speaking.”  
My eyes snap open and I scramble to a sitting position. I really am going to kill him.  
“Sure, he’s right here,” Snow says to whoever is on the other end.  
“It’s your dad”, he mouths to me.  
“What the hell just happened?” I whisper yell, snatching my phone with one hand and smacking Snow in the back of the head with the other.  
He picks up my pillow and promptly tosses it at my face; he easily dodges it when I throw it back.  
I get up and walk into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.  
“Hello, father,” I say into the phone.  
{+}

_SIMON_  
I’m sitting at my desk trying to get some of my homework done when Baz finally opens the bathroom door. I turn around in my seat and see that he’s just standing there. If it’s possible, he looks even worse than before.  
“So, uh… how’s your dad?” I ask.  
Baz snaps his head up to meet my eyes and sneers at me. It doesn’t last long though. His face quickly crumbles, and he roughly rubs a hand over his face. He slowly trudges to his bed and lets himself fall down onto it facedown.  
“Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit,” he moans into his mattress.  
I set my pen down and get up from my seat, but I hesitate. I’m not really sure what to do now. I know he got dumped a couple of weeks ago and has barely left the dorm since. But I’m not really sure how his dad could play into that. Maybe I shouldn’t have answered his phone after all. If Baz and I were friends, I would cross the room and try to get him to talk about… whatever this is.  
I decide that’s what I should do anyway. I somehow made his situation worse, and I need to do what I can to make that right.  
“Hey, so, Baz,” I begin, walking over to his bed and having a seat. “I, uh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have answered your phone…”  
“Doesn’t matter,” Baz says without lifting his face from the bed. How can he breathe like that?  
“Well, ok, but I’m still sorry,” I tell him. I feel awkward sitting on his bed and talking to his back like this. “I just thought maybe your dad could help you out of your…funk.”  
Baz scoffs at this and turns his head to look at me.  
“It’s not a funk. I’m depressed, Snow. And my father is the absolute last person on Earth that I wanted to talk to right now.”  
I wince at his words. I really screwed up.  
“Baz, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… I just wanted…” I growl and scrub the back of my neck with my hand.  
“Calm down, Snow. Stop blustering. I would have had to talk to him sooner or later. He probably would have shown up here if kept ignoring him much longer.” Baz turns completely over and looks up at me with a strange expression on his face. “I don’t know why you care anyway, Snow. I thought you hated me.”  
I don’t really know what to say. (Shocking, I know.)  
It's not that I ever really hated him, but I've definitely been somewhat of a prick to him. I feel like he started it, but he may feel the same what about me. Ever since he got dumped and started showing human emotion, I started to feel differently about him, though. Hopeful even. At first, I didn’t think anything of it. Everyone gets down in the dumps after a break up, and it’s natural to feel bad for anyone in that situation, but then he stopped going to class, stopped leaving the dorm at all, stopped showering… He doesn’t even leave to eat. He just eats whatever is in our minifridge (I may or may not have been purposefully bringing leftovers home from my meals) and orders takeout. He might be a prick, but I know what it’s like to have a broken heart, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.  
“I care because… I’m a caring guy,” I say. Baz lets out a little snort that is probably the closest thing he’s done to laughing in weeks. “And I don’t hate you, Baz. You’re the one who’s always hostile. I just went with it.” I add with a shrug.  
“I’m not hostile,” he replies. “I’m annoyed.”  
“Oh, so I’m annoying?” I ask him, shoving his shoulder gently.  
“Please, Snow. Have you met you?” he asks. Well, that’s a yes.  
I frown at him, and he shoves my arm. “Oh, stop that. There’s only room for one sad sack around here.”  
“About that,” I say. “Do you want to talk about it? It might make you feel better.” Baz looks away from me and starts toying with the tassels on his throw blanket. “Is this about Neil?”  
Baz rolls his eyes and snorts again. “Niall,” he says looking at me with a hint of amusement.  
“Come again?” I ask.  
“His name is Niall,” Baz says. “And yes, this is about him.”  
“I see,” I say, “and talking to your dad made it worse because...?”  
Baz sits up and draws his knees into his chest. He stares straight ahead, and at first, I don’t think he’s going to answer me, but then he finally speaks.  
“My father’s company goes on a weekend retreat to the country every six months. They stay in cabins and do activities together. It’s for team building, bonding, and a nice way to show appreciation for employees. I go every year. I’m expected to be there,” he pauses to sigh. “I’ll own the company someday, so it’s my responsibility to be there.”  
“Well that sounds like a good thing,” I interject. “That could be exactly what you need; fresh air, organized activities, a change of scenery. It could be therapeutic even.”  
Baz still won’t look at me, and his frown deepens before he responds. “The thing is, every year the company chooses three promising interns to come on the trip…”  
“And Niall is one of them,” I finish for him. “Fuck.”  
Baz just nods.  
“Tell them you can’t go,” I suggest. Baz rolls his eyes. Right he’s probably already tried that. “Better yet,” I say, “tell Niall not to go. He’s the one that should have to miss the trip. It’s your family’s company.”  
“I’m not that petty, Snow," he snaps.  
Could have fooled me. This coming from the person that actually nailed our window shut because I forgot to close it once, and he said it got way too cold in here. It’s my turn to roll my eyes.  
“Alright then, this is what we’re going to do,” I say, standing up, and facing Baz properly. “ _You_ are going to get up and take a shower, I am going to finish my homework, and then we are going to walk down to Ebb’s together.”  
Baz looks at me as if I just suggested we fly to the moon together. “Why the hell would we do that?” he asks.  
“You need the fresh air and some real food. I’m meeting Penny there anyway. We can discuss your dilemma together and come up with a solution.”  
Baz doesn’t say anything. He continues to stare at me in confusion for a few beats then he looks down at his toes.  
Enough of this. I wrap my hands around both of his biceps and tug him out of the bed.  
“Snow, what the hell?” he barks.  
I don’t respond. I simply grab a towel from the hook on his closet, hand it to him, then frog march him to the bathroom.


	2. Pretty Little Liars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baz goes to dinner with Simon and Penelope. What could go wrong?

_BAZ_

 

I hate to admit it, but I do feel slightly better after showering. I swipe my hand across the mirror to wipe off the steam and grimace at my reflection. No wonder Snow was worried about me. I look like hell.  
I slide my fingers across my chin, feeling the two weeks worth of coarse hair that’s scattered there. This simply won’t do.  
After I shave and comb my hair, I wrap the towel around my waist and venture out into our shared room. Snow isn’t here. He must have realized he didn’t give me any clothes to put on in the bathroom. I walk over to my dresser and decide on a pair of jeans and a dark green tee shirt.  
I hear Snow before I see him. He fumbles with the doorknob for longer than should be necessary. I could open the door for him, but I’d have to walk all the way over there. Plus, I’m a dick. So.  
“Oh, you’re ready. Awesome,” he says. I turn to look at him and see that he’s holding two to-go cups from the coffee place across the street. No wonder he couldn’t get the door.  
He has a really weird look on his face, and he’s staring at my legs.  
“Is one of those for me?” I ask hesitantly.  
“Oh! Yeah,” he says snapping to attention and holding out both cups. “This one is coffee, this one is tea. Take your pick.”  
God, I _am_ a dick.  
“I’ll take the tea,” I say, taking the cup out of his hand. My fingers brush his when I grab it, and Snow quickly turns around and clears his throat.  
“Alrighty then, let’s go,” he says practically sprinting to the door.  
We walk to Ebb’s Place mostly in silence. It’s awkward. Not the silence, so much as Snow’s demeanor. He’s been acting weird since he came back with tea. We’ve never gone anywhere together before, so maybe he’s weirded out by it.  
“This was your idea, you know,” I remind him.  
Snow looks over at me like he forgot I was there. “Hmm?”  
“You’re acting weird,” I tell him.  
“Am not,” he says, “ _You’re_ weird.”  
“Oh, that’s mature,” I say, knocking his shoulder with mine. Snow promptly looks to the ground and I swear he’s blushing.  
I stop and turn to him. “Why are you so flu-“  
“SIMON!” Bunce’s loud voice interrupts my question. We both look in the direction of the restaurant and see her waving broadly, she stops when she sees who I am and gives Snow an inquisitive look.  
“Hey, Pen,” Snow says walking over to her.  
“Hey, Si,” Penelope says. She eyes me a little warily. “I didn’t know you were coming, Baz. It’s good to see you again.”  
“Always a pleasure, Bunce. Shall we?” I ask, gesturing to the door. We walk in and have a seat in a booth near the windows.  
I sit down first, and Penelope sits across from me. Snow hesitates for a moment. He looks torn about which side he should sit on. I reach over and grab his wrist, pulling him into the seat next to me.  
“Sit _down_ for Christ’s sake,” I say.  
“Alright, alright,” Snow says, settling in next to me. He picks up a menu and sticks his face in it, but I can see the smile he’s trying to hide.  
What is going on with him? I look across the table at Penny and she looks just as confused as I feel.  
“What’s good here, Bunce?” I ask, attempting to squelch the awkwardness.  
“Oh, um, I like the chicken sandwich,” she tells me, looking down at her menu.  
Ebb herself comes over to take our orders because she loves Snow, just like everyone else he meets. I’ve never actually spoken to her, but she seems nice enough.  
We eat our food with little talk. Penelope seems to be a bit nervous around me, and Simon hasn’t stopped stuffing his face long enough to hold a conversation.  
When Penelope can’t stand it anymore, she puts her fork down and levels us both with a no nosense glare.  
“Ok, guys, help me out. You’re friends now?”  
Snows face goes all red again, for reasons I still can’t imagine, as he tries to put his thoughts together.  
“Well,” he says looking to me for help, but I’m enjoying this, so I just raise my eyebrows expectantly. “We’re roommates, and uh… I thought Baz could use a friend right now, and, uh… it’s nice to be nice, you know?” he says.

{+}

_SIMON_

I was really hoping that Penny would just go with this, but of course, she needed an explanation. I look over at Baz, and he’s smiling. A real smile. The first I’ve seen in weeks.  
For the first time in my life I’m glad for my social awkwardness. It’s good to see him smile. Even if it’s at my expense.  
“Well, that’s cool, I guess,” Penny says. “I’m glad you guys aren’t fighting anymore.” She picks up her fork again and takes a bite of her pasta. “So, Baz,” she says, smiling at him for the first time tonight, “is something wrong? Why did Simon think you needed a friend?”  
“Oh, um,” Baz starts. He looks trapped. He starts looking around a bit then he stops and his eyes go wide. I follow his line of vision, and I see him. Niall.  
“Ah, shit,” I grumble.  
“What is it?” Penny asks turning around. She spots him too. “Oh, right. You guys broke up.”  
“Will everyone stop staring at him for fuck’s sake?” Baz hisses.  
Penny and I pointedly look down at our plates. Mine is empty. I wonder if Baz is going to finish those fries. I look over at his plate, then up at his face. He looks panicked. Shit.  
“Baz, I’m sorry. This was a bad idea,” I say. “Do you want me to take you home?”  
“No,” he says. “Let’s just try not to draw attention to ourselves.”  
“Too late,” Penny says. We both look up at her and she tilts her head forward, indicating that someone is behind us. “Incoming.”  
I try my best to look completely cool the way Baz always does. I look over at him and see that for once, he doesn’t look cool at all. I suddenly feel very protective over him. I’m pissed that this Niall person has the balls to walk over here.  
He comes up to our table all casual, like we’re all good friends or something.  
“Hey there, Baz,” he says, smiling, “I thought that was you. Good to see you out and about. Dev said you haven’t been going to class.”  
“Hi,” Baz says in a voice so small, I can’t believe it actually came out of the same person who yells at me when one of my dirty socks is on his side of the room.  
I straighten up and look over at Niall. He looks completely unruffled, so I mimic his expression.  
“I’m Simon,” I say, reaching over to shake his hand. He takes it and smiles at me.  
“Ah, the roommate,” he says with a little smirk.  
“That’s right,” I say. “Neil, is it?” I ask, knowing it’ll insult him a little and amuse Baz as well.  
“Niall,” he drawls, cutting his eyes a bit. His pale complexion goes pink.  
Noting the tension, Penny introduces herself, and he acts all charming with her, kissing her hand and remarking on her perfume. I resist the urge to roll my eyes. What does this guy want?  
“So, Baz, are you coming to the retreat this weekend?” he asks.  
Ah, there it is. I want so badly to answer for Baz. I want to say that of course, he’s going, and why wouldn’t he?  
“Yes, I’ll be there,” Baz says, sounding more like himself than before.  
“Oh good,” Niall says, not sounding like he means it at all. “In that case, I feel like I should tell you, I’m bringing my boyfriend.”  
I whip my head over to gage Baz’s reaction, but he doesn’t say anything. He just stares straight ahead. Say something. Please, say something.  
It isn’t Baz who says something though, it’s Penny.  
“Well, I’m sure that’s fine with him, seeing as he’s bringing Simon and all,” she tells him.  
“Oh,” Niall says, looking between Baz and me, “I didn’t realize that you two were dating.”  
Shit. Shit. Shit.

_BAZ_

Seriously, Bunce? Meddling twit.  
What am I supposed to say to that? I can’t find my voice. I swallow a hard lump in my throat and look over to Snow, hoping that he’ll clear things up. Of course, though, because it’s Snow, and he’s an idiot, he does the exact opposite of the right thing.  
“Well, now you know,” he says smugly. Throwing an arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer.  
What in the actual fuck is my life right now? I feel my face heat up, and I really hope it isn’t as obvious as when Niall or Snow blushes.  
“Seriously?” Niall asks, not looking convinced. “I thought you said he was practically an animal.”  
“Baz,” Snow chides me, “you really shouldn’t talk about our sex life with your ex.”  
That does it. Niall’s eyes go wide, and he takes a step back. “I’ll see you guys this weekend then,” he mumbles, and finally leaves.  
“What the fuck, Snow?” I hiss, at the same time, he’s leaning towards Penelope and asking her what the hell she was thinking.  
“I don’t know,” she says. “He was just so smug, coming over here all cocky…” she looks over at me. “I’m sorry, Baz. That was uncool of me.”  
Simon sinks back into his seat and rests his head on the back of his chair. “You’re never going to come out with me again, are you?” he asks.  
“What?” I ask, caught off guard.  
“Wait, what?” Penelope echoes.  
“Forget it,” Snow says, standing up and throwing money down on the table. “Dinner’s on me.”  
I watch him walk over to Ebb to say his goodbyes, then he walks out the door. Penelope is looking over at me when I turn my head.  
“We meant well,” she says to me.  
I press my thumb and pointer finger into my eyes. “I know,” I tell her.  
“Simon _will_ go with you this weekend. You should ask him. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a friend there, would it?”  
No, it wouldn’t.  
“I’m going to talk to him,” I say, standing up.  
She smiles at me encouragingly and wishes me luck.  
I’ll need it.  
{+}  
So, here’s the deal with me and Snow. The day I moved into our dorm, I knew I was fucked. I arrived early, hoping to lay claim on my side of the room before my roommate had any say in the matter, but when I opened the door, there he was. Simon Snow. He jumped up from his seat on his bed like he was waiting for me. He rushed over and shook my hand, introducing himself and smiling at me like we were already friends. He took the box I was carrying from my arms and asked me where I wanted it. He said he had been here for a couple of nights already, but that I could have whichever bed I preferred. He was friendly, thoughtful, and the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen. His bronze hair looked like honey in the sunlight, and it made his boring blue eye seem spectacular in contrast. He had moles sprinkled across his face, and I found myself wanting to trace my fingers over them. Before I finally got to say much to him, a beautiful blonde girl popped her head into our room and told Simon that if he didn’t hurry that they’d be late for their reservations with her father. At that moment, I hated him. How dare he be so bloody perfect then have the audacity to be unavailable and _straight_? I built a wall around my heart and vowed to never let him in.  
Unfortunately, my heart had other plans. Every time Snow walked through the door, it would skip a beat. Every time I got a peak of shirtless Snow, or even just a sliver of his stomach when he reached up for something over his head, it would beat faster. And once, when he came out of the bathroom wearing only a towel, I think it stopped completely. I finally had enough about six months into us living together. He came home late one night after drinking with his friends. I was studying, and he came over to sit on my desk in front of me. He told me that he wished we could be friends because he really liked me. I told him to fuck off. The next day he either didn’t remember or didn’t want to remember.  
He said he liked me… I couldn’t deal with it. It was too close to what I actually wanted. So, that’s when I decided that I needed to find someone else. I met Niall through my cousin, Dev, and we started dating. As fate would have it though, literally the day that Niall asked me to be his boyfriend “officially”, Agatha dumped Snow. I was so thankful for Niall during that time. He was an excellent distraction from my feelings for Snow.  
Until he wasn’t.

_SIMON_

I’m practically running as I head back to the dorm. God, that was awful. That literally couldn’t have gone worse. I just wanted to show Baz a good time to lift his spirits, and Niall had to come and muck everything up. And Penny had to make it much, much worse. I don’t know why she said what she said, but Baz must be mortified. I swear out loud and turn the corner almost running into a couple. The boy I almost smashed into stumbles back a bit, and I grab onto his arm, righting him.  
“Sorry, mate. I wasn’t watching where I was going,” I tell him. He smiles and says it’s all good. I look over to his date to apologize, and I feel my blood turn cold.  
“Hi, Simon.”  
Fucking Agatha, looking pretty as ever. What is it? Exes night?  
“Uh, hey, Ags,” I say awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck.  
“How have you been?” she asks.  
“I’ve been good. Really good,” I say. It’s not exactly a lie, but I still feel weird saying it. I’m obviously not doing as well as she is. Fuck, I wish I weren’t alone right now.  
As soon as I think it, I feel a cool hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see Baz smiling down at me.  
“There you are,” he says.  
“Oh, hello, Basilton,” Agatha says. “Are you guys… hanging out?” She looks thoroughly confused, and for good reason. I don’t think I’ve ever said a good word about Baz to her.  
“Well, we were,” he says to her. Then he looks over at me. “Now we’re going home. So, we’ll be seeing you.”  
Agatha doesn’t say anything she just sort of moves to the side so we can pass.  
“And you,” Baz says, pointing to the guy she’s with, “I’m sure you have a name, and I’m sure that it’s lovely, but we really should go,” he looks at Agatha like he’s disappointed in her. “Honestly, Agatha, where are your manners? What would the people at the club say?”  
Agatha’s jaw drops in shock, and I stifle a laugh as Baz loops his arm through mine and guides me away from them.  
I’m about to tell Baz that he didn’t have to do that, but he holds a hand up to stop me.  
“I get it now,” he says.  
I don’t think he does, but I smile at him anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this little twist. I asked you guys, and you gave me your opinions but I still couldn't decide who should ask. In the end, in true Penny fashion, she took charge, and made the decision for me. ;-)


	3. Get Outta Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon goes on the company trip with Baz.

_BAZ_

“Ready,” Snow announces as he zips his duffle bag closed.  
“You forgot something,” I say, walking out of the bathroom with my toiletry kit and placing it in my matching overnight bag.  
“I did?” Snow asks. He tilts his head at me like a cat.  
“Your toothbrush,” I tell him. “I put it in with mine. I had an extra cap.” I pat my leather bag to indicate where it is.  
Snow averts his eyes, blushing as if I just told him that I’m not wearing any underwear, and mumbles something about keeping the driver waiting. He slings his bag over his shoulder, picks up mine as well then rushes out the door.  
I hear a phone chime, so I take my mobile out of my pocket to check it, but I don’t have any messages. I look around, and spot Simon’s on his bed. I pick it up and see that he has a new text. From Agatha. For reasons I can’t explain, or rather, reasons I don’t wish to dissect at the moment, my chest tightens a bit and I feel a little nauseous. I figured he would be hearing from Agatha after seeing her the night of our disastrous dinner. Simon looked so good that night and I could tell she thought so too. She probably wants him back. She’d be an idiot not to.  
I walk down the stairs and when I get to the door, Snow is opening it.  
“Forget something?” I ask cheekily, presenting him with his phone. I keep mum about the text I saw.  
“Huh?” He takes it from me looking surprised. He glances at it, and I know he sees he has a text, but he ignores it, pocketing the phone. “I didn’t realize I’d left it. I was bringing you an umbrella; it’s raining.” He hands me the umbrella and I look at it for a moment, frowning.  
“Mr. Perfect strikes again,” I gripe under my breath. I wish my heart would get it together. He’s just being friendly. That’s just his personality. I’m just not used to being on the receiving end of it.  
“What’d you say?” Snow asks.  
“Nothing,” I tell him. “Come on. I’ll keep you dry.” I open the door, then the umbrella and he steps closer to me. I shield us from the rain as we walk to the car together. 

_SIMON_

Baz is acting weird. He’s always weird, but he’s acting off… even for him. He keeps giving me funny looks, and there’s been less bite to his words this morning. I’m going to chalk it up to the fact that he has a very awkward couple of days ahead of him. If someone told me that I had to spend the weekend with Aggie and her new boyfriend, I probably wouldn’t be acting like myself either.  
I look over at him. He looks bored out of his mind as usual. He’s got his chin resting on his fist and he’s just staring out at the rainy landscape as we pass. I wonder what it would take for him to be entertained.  
“Let’s try to have fun this weekend,” I say to him. He cuts his eyes over at me and raises an eyebrow. After a moment, the corner of his mouth quirks up a bit. He doesn’t answer me, so I put my earbuds in and lean back in my seat, closing my eyes.  
“Snow, we’re here.”  
Baz has his hand on my shoulder and he’s gently shaking me.  
“I slept the whole way?” I ask.  
“Obviously, since I just said we’re here,” he replies. I guess he’s feeling better. Or maybe worse? He’s so hard to read. Either way…  
“I’m starving. When’s lunch?”  
Baz lets out a sound that’s something between a snort and a scoff. “You and that stomach,” he says. “Let’s go find our cabin and settle in. Then we’ll go find the mess hall, yeah?”  
“Aye, aye, captain,” I say, saluting him.  
“Idiot,” he says, but I see a little smile as he climbs out of the car.  
{+}

 

 _BAZ_  
I spent an embarrassingly long time watching Snow sleep on the way to our campground. I haven’t done that in almost a year, but there he was, right next to me. He had his head leaned against the window and the shadows of the raindrops made it look like he had even more freckles. His long eyelashes were brushing his cheek and he looked so peaceful… It made me feel peaceful too.  
We make our way past the long row of cabins that my family owns. We actually own this whole campground, but we keep these eight cabins reserved for our personal use. Simon and I will be staying in the largest one at the end of the pine grove. Usually, my father stays in this one, but he wasn’t able t make this trip, so he said I could stay in it with Snow.  
Somehow, he’s been walking ahead of me this whole time, like he already knows where to go. He stops in front of the steps and turns to watch me catch up to him.  
“How’d you know which one is ours?” I ask, stepping past him to unlock the door.  
He shrugs and runs his fingers through his curls. “Figured you’d have dibs on the biggest one.”  
I decide not to comment on that. He’s not wrong.  
“Ah, shit,” Snow says, looking behind me. “There’s Niall and his boyfriend. Let’s just go inside. Quick.”  
He nudges my shoulder a few times, trying to get me to move, but I’m rooted to the spot. I really, really don’t want to look, but…  
Oh, hell no. 

_SIMON_

I’m sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace in the living room, watching Baz pace the floor in front of me, looking like he’s ready to kill someone. I decide to keep my mouth shut so that someone isn’t me. I don’t want to push him anymore than I already have. Suddenly, Baz stops mid-circle and turns to me.  
“He’s dating my fucking cousin,” he says.  
“Noooo,” I say, getting to my feet.  
Now I’m pissed too. That little shit. Out of everyone at our school, out of everyone in the world, how dare he date Baz’s cousin?  
“Want me to kick his ass?” I ask. Baz looks like he’s seriously considering it, and I really hope he says yes.  
“That,” he begins (and for a moment I think he will let me), “is a bad idea,” he finishes. We both look disappointed.  
“That’s so fucked up though,” I say. “Your cousin? Isn’t that like… incest or something?”  
Baz laughs at this, then sits down on the couch, leaning his head back and covering his face with his hands.  
“What can I do?” I ask. “Do you want to leave? We can just go home… watch Netflix and-“  
“Chill?” Baz finishes for me.  
I plop down next to him with a sigh.  
“Tell me what to do,” I say. Baz moves his hands away from his face and gives me the smallest of smiles.  
“You’ve done enough,” he says. “More than enough.”  
He’s looking at me with soft eyes, and his tiny smile disappears. He looks… weird. No, not weird, vulnerable. I look from his eyes to his lips and lick my own on instinct. I want to… do something I probably shouldn’t want to do.  
“Snow,” he says, his voice is almost a whisper.  
“Yeah?” I ask, not looking away from his mouth.  
“Why are you being so nice to me?” At this, I do look up. Baz raises his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.  
“Because you’re letting me,” I tell him.  
“Well, thanks,” he says, his own eyes flick to my mouth and I think he might be thinking what I’m thinking. I lean a little bit closer to him, and his eyes widen. He stands up abruptly.  
“Let’s get some food, yeah?” he says, walking to the front door.  
I wait until my face cools to follow him.  
I walk behind Baz all the way to the mess hall. I’m too ashamed to look Baz in the eye or try to talk to him right now. He’s probably pissed anyway. He has every right to be. He’s feeling really down about his ex, and I basically tried to take advantage of that. I don’t want him to think that I would ever take advantage of him. I didn’t mean to… but that’s what it was, wasn’t it? He let his guard down with me, finally, and I leaned in for a fucking kiss. I could kick myself.  
Right then, I make a decision. I’m going to stop letting my pathetic crush get the better of me and I’m going to be a good friend. If that’s all that Baz wants, I’ll take it. 

 

 _BAZ_  
Snow is still trailing behind when I approach the mess hall, he didn’t really walk with me. He seems distracted. He’s probably thinking about how I almost kissed him back in the cabin. He’s probably thinking about how to let me down easy. I can’t believe I did that at such a shitty moment. I literally went from complaining about my ex, to wanting to kiss Snow. He’s probably feeling used or pissed. I would.  
I stop in front of the door and decide to wait on him instead of walking in alone. I have to face him sometime.  
_Come on, Pitch. Keep it friendly_ , I tell myself.  
“Hurry up, Snow, I’d like to eat sometime this month,” I call to him. He snaps his head up to meet my eyes and gives me a sheepish smile. He jogs over to me, and I open the door for him.  
As soon as we walk in, I spot Niall and Dev looking cozy in a corner table. When I look over at Snow, he gives me a sympathetic look.  
“I’m not jealous,” I tell him. I don’t know why, but I feel like it’s important for him to know this. “It’s just insulting, isn’t it? I mean, Dev introduced us. Now he’s dating him? It’s rude.”  
“It _is_ rude,” Snow agrees. “Some people can be so self-involved.” He gives me a little smirk and I know he means me, so I swat at him. He laughs and looks around the crowded room for a moment. “Go grab us those seats by the window and I’ll get us some food, okay?”  
I nod and stride over to the table he indicated. Trixie from my economics class is already seated there across her girlfriend whose name I always forget.  
“Hi, Basilton,” she says cheerily.  
“Hello, ladies,” I say. “Mind if Snow and I join you?”  
“Not at all. I was hoping I’d get to meet him. Here, I’ll switch sides so you guys can sit next to each other.” Trixie gets up and settles in next to her girlfriend. I’m about to tell her that isn’t necessary, but I suppose that if Snow and I are playing happy boyfriends this weekend, then I should just say thanks. So, I do.  
I turn around to see how much progress Snow has made in the buffet line, when I hear a “Psst.” I look at Trixie’s girlfriend, and raise my eyebrows.  
“Your boyfriend is really handsome,” she whispers.  
“I know,” I whisper back. She and Trixie giggle at me, and I can’t help but let out a small laugh. Girls.  
“What’s so funny?” Snow says, setting down a tray of sandwiches and tea in front of me.  
I exchange a knowing look with the girls, and they laugh again.  
“Oh, come on,” Snow says. “I want to laugh too.”  
“I was just telling Basilton that I think you’re really cute,” Trixie’s girlfriend says. At least she’s honest. I can appreciate that. I wish I could be so brazen.  
Snow’s face goes a bright shade of pink and he looks over at me. “I like her,” he says.  
“I’m Simon, by the way,” he says to them, reaching over and shaking both their hands.  
We all eat our lunch and make idle chit chat. We talk about school mostly and Trixie and I talk about our futures at the company. We all make plans to meet up for s’mores after whatever today’s team building challenge will be.  
One of the interns comes over to our table and hands us a packet containing a weekend schedule, and details of each activity for the next couple of days. We’ll do one activity for each day that we’re here, starting with this evening’s three-legged race. Afterwards, we’re to gather for a bonfire. We’re also informed that whomever we’re sitting with at the moment will be our teammates for the whole weekend. I guess I’d better learn Trixie’s girlfriend’s name.  
“Snow,” I whisper. He leans in close. “Ask that girl her name.”  
“Why don’t you?” he asks.  
“I’m supposed to already know it.” I tell him.  
Snow rolls his eyes, and leans over to Trixie’s girlfriend, smiling like Prince Fucking Charming.  
“Um, so sorry, but I didn’t catch your name,” he says. She practically melts. Trixie looks amused as hell.  
“I’m Keris,” she says, blushing furiously. Suddenly, I feel a completely unwarranted sense of pride. It’s not like Snow is actually mine to be proud of, but still… he’s here for me.


	4. Let The Games Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon and Baz bite the dust (literally) and Niall still sucks.

_SIMON_

Ok, so I know this is a little dorky, but I’m really excited about this weekend. I grew up in the care system, so I never got to do anything cool like go to camp or have a field day. I went camping with Penny and Agatha once, just to see what it was like, but we didn’t do anything fun like a three-legged race. Mostly we just ate a bunch of marshmallows and complained about bugs and dirt. So, I’m really looking forward to this. I feel like a little kid right now. I’m giddy.   
I look over at Baz and he looks more determined than anyone else here. He’s so competitive. It’s adorable. I mean, it’s cool… whatever. I stop smiling at him like a freaking idiot.   
Keris offers to be the one to tape our legs together, and I tape hers to Trixie’s. Baz helps me to my feet, and I have to put my arm around his waist so that we don’t topple over. He smells amazing. He always does, but this close up, it’s almost intoxicating. I look up at him and see that he’s blushing a bit. We carefully make our way to the starting line and wait for the other contestants to line up. Of course, Niall and Dev are doing this activity as well. I look over at Baz and give him a look that says we have to beat those guys and he gives me a little nod.   
A man in a striped referees shirt walks up the podium and explains that the team that crosses the finish line first will be the winners. Duh. He counts us down, then shoots his little fake gun into the air.   
Baz and I work ourselves into a steady rhythm for about the first ten seconds, then he falls, pulling me on top of him. I scramble to get off of him, but we’re tied together so I can’t really do it. I brace myself above him, making a cage around his head with my arms and I look down at him. I’m about to apologize, but I see that he’s laughing. Really laughing. Hard. He has tears in his eyes and he’s clutching his stomach. He looks so happy. I start laughing too. This whole situation… If anyone had asked me a week ago if I thought I’d ever be lying in the mud with Baz Pitch underneath me, laughing… Suddenly, it’s not so funny anymore. I’m very aware of our proximity and the position we’re in brings to mind other instances in which we could be tangled up in the same way. Baz stops laughing as well, and his expression darkens.   
I push off of Baz and start ripping the tape off of our legs. When I’m finished, I hastily get to my feet and walk over to the finish line where people are waiting with water bottles. 

{+}

BAZ

I should just do it, right? I should just grab his face between my hands and snog the shit out of him. I almost did, just now. He was leaning over me, looking beautiful and happy, and I wanted nothing more than to lean up and close the distance between our mouths. I’m glad I came to my senses and remembered that there are other people in the world. I don’t want to kiss Snow for the first time in front of God and all of these people that my father works with.   
I get to my feet and swipe the mud and grass off my trackie bottoms. Looking down at them, I recall how flustered Snow was when he saw me in them. I guess he’s never seen me in activewear before. I usually change at the gym before heading back to the dorm. I make a mental note to stop doing that.  
I walk over to where Snow is chatting with some brunette girl that I don’t know. When he sees me, he offers to get me a bottle of water then leaves me with the girl before I can say no. I stand there awkwardly for a moment then the girl clears her throat.   
“Excuse me, but, do you know if he’s seeing anyone?” I’m at a loss for words. I don’t want to blow our cover, but I also don’t want him to miss out on opportunities because he’s doing me a favor.   
“Uh…” I look over at Snow and see that he’s walking back towards us. “Um, actually…” Snow walks up to us before I can make up my mind.   
“Here you go, babe,” he says, handing me the water. He’s smiling at me brightly. “We should probably go shower if we’re going to meet Keris and Trixie for our double date in an hour.”   
Understanding dawns on the brunettes face and she makes a polite exit. Snow immediately leans in close to me and lowers his voice.  
“Sorry if that wasn’t okay. She was coming on a little strong,” he explains. “I didn’t mean to like… use you.”  
I reach over and pat his head. “You worry too much,” I say. He smiles at me again then reaches up to my hair. I think he’s about to put it behind my ear, but then he retracts his hand with a piece of grass between his fingers.   
“Thanks,” I tell him. I look up and make eye contact with Niall who doesn’t look away. What the hell is he staring at? I turn back to Snow and see that he’s already walking towards the cabins.   
{+}  
When I walk into the cabin, I see a moody Snow sitting on the couch, looking into the fire.   
“You didn’t want to wait for me?” I snap.   
“Do you want to get back together with Niall?” he asks.   
“What? No. What?” Why is he asking me this? There’s no way in hell I would get back together with Niall.   
“I saw you two making eyes at each other,” Snow says, grabbing a throw pillow and clutching it to his stomach like he needs something to hold onto to brace himself for whatever I say next.   
“Making eyes at each other? Do you hear yourself right now?” I ask him.   
“I was just wondering,” he says, not looking at me.   
“Well, wonder no more, Snow. I have no intentions of letting that prick back into my life,” I say.   
Snow doesn’t say anything else. He stands up and mumbles something about taking a shower, but I grab his arm before he can pass.   
“What about you, huh?” I ask. If Snow thinks it’s his business to ask about my ex, maybe it’s my business to ask about his.   
“What about me?” he asks. He swallows and it’s a whole production, as usual. God, I want to kiss his throat.   
“Agatha texted you this morning,” I say. Snow furrow his brow for a second.   
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. So what?” he shrugs.  
“Are you getting back together?” I ask.  
“No, Baz,” I don’t know why, but the way he says my name makes my stomach warm. Snow balls a fist in his curls and squeezes his eyes shut for a second. “I don’t give two shits that she texted me this morning. I didn’t text her back, I didn’t even read it. Have you seen me on my phone at all today? I’ve been here with _you._ ”  
He’s right. I haven’t seen him on his phone since we were in the car, but that was only when he was putting on some music that he promptly fell asleep to. I feel like an ass. It was reasonable for him to ask if I wanted to get back with Niall. This whole weekend is basically because of Niall. Because I was heartbroken over him and two friendly people who don’t even particularly like me came to my aid.   
“Snow, I’m sorry,” I say. He looks up at me in shock and I would be insulted, but he’s right to look surprised. I don’t apologize. Ever. Especially not to him. “I shouldn’t have asked about Agatha. It’s none of my business.”  
“No, it’s… I did it first. I shouldn’t have brought Niall up. You can be with whoever you want. I’m going to shower.” I let go of Snow’s arm and he goes up the stairs. When I hear the bathroom door shut, I finally answer him.   
“I _am_ with who I want to be with.”


	5. It's About Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff, fluff, and more fluff.

_SIMON_  
I stand in the shower and let the hot water wash over me. I want it to wash away all of my bad decisions. I shouldn’t have tried to help Baz, I shouldn’t have agreed to come here, I shouldn’t have tried to kiss him, I shouldn’t have asked about Niall. I need to mind my own business. All I do is screw everything up.   
Technically, as his friend, I should be happy for him if he gets back with Niall. I shouldn’t feel like I’m going to throw up when I see him make eye contact with him.   
I growl and turn off the water. I towel off more aggressively than necessary then I realize that in my haste to get away from him, I didn’t grab any clothes. I wrap the towel around my waist and make my way to the room at the end of the hall. When I open the door, I’m greeted by the sight of a shirtless Baz.  
“What the fuck, Snow? Can’t you knock?” he barks. He takes in the sight of me and his angry expression turns in to a nervous one. “Why are you naked?”  
“Uh… I forgot my clothes, and I, uh, thought this was my room,” I swallow, and I see Baz’s eyes follow the movement. I slam his door before anything else is said. My heart is racing right now. I’ve never seen Baz without a shirt. He always changes in the bathroom or at the gym.   
I have been truly blessed on this day.  
{+}

Even though I’m still embarrassed about what happened upstairs, I keep pace with Baz as we walk to the bonfire to meet the girls.   
Trixie and Keris are both sitting in lawn chairs, with their feet propped up in two more.   
“Hey, guys,” Keris calls to us. “We saved you seats.”   
“That was sweet of you,” I say sitting down in the seat Trixie’s feet just vacated. Both girls blush and giggle. I love it.   
Baz sits down next to me without a word. He hasn’t said much to me since the incident.   
“Why the long face, Basilton?” Trixie asks. “You guys aren’t fighting, are you?” she adds, looking to me.   
“Not exactly,” I say. “Baz is just upset because I saw him without his shirt on.”  
“That is not, I’m not…” Baz is actually blustering. “You should learn how to knock. It’s like you were raised in a barn, I swear.”   
I can’t help it. I laugh. His face is so red, and I’ve never seen him trip over his words like this. I can’t breathe, I’m laughing so hard. Trixie and Keris are laughing too. Baz looks around at us looking pissed then he finally gives in and laughs with us.   
“Oh, Baz,” I say, putting an arm around his shoulders and pulling him in close. “You’re adorable.”  
Baz stiffens a little, then relaxes into my touch. I can’t believe he’s actually letting me keep my arm around him. It’s most likely for the appearances, but I don’t care. This feels nice.   
“So, wait,” Keris says, looking confused. “You guys haven’t had sex yet?”  
“Keris,” Trixie hisses, smacking her arm. “That’s none of our beeswax, nosy!”  
“Ow, sorry,” she says to us, rubbing her arm. “You’re both so hot, though. How do you keep your hands off of each other?” she asks.   
“Years of practice,” Baz says. I look at him, surprised, and he gives me a shy smile. My heart starts hammering so hard, I swear he has to be able to hear it.

_BAZ_

“Baz, wake up,” Snow says. He’s shaking me gently with the arm he still has wrapped around me. I blink a few times and look around. Almost everyone has gone back to their cabins.   
“Where are the girls?” I ask sitting up.   
“They went back to their cabin about forty-five minutes ago,” he tells me.   
“You should have woken me then. You didn’t have to sit here all alone,” I say.  
“I wasn’t alone. I was with you,” he says, and my chest tightens. “Besides, I was comfortable.”  
I don’t know what to say to that, so I just nod.   
“Are you ready to head back?” I ask, getting to my feet. Snow grabs my wrist with a warm hand, and tugs. My heart drops into my stomach.   
I sit back down and look into his eyes; the flames from the bonfire are dancing in the reflection.   
“Before we go back,” he says, then he licks his lips. “I just wanted to apologize. I feel like I keep messing everything up for you, and I’m sorry. I just wanted to be a good friend, but I just…” he sighs and looks away from me.   
“Snow, look at me,” I say. He does. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be in our dorm right now, lying in bed, eating old Chinese food.”  
Snow chuckles, “Yeah, you might be right.”  
“I am right,” I tell him. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have come to this beautiful place, talked to two very nice girls that I normally wouldn’t talk to, or failed spectacularly at a three-legged race.” This gets another laugh out of him. “I’m having fun with you. I’m so grateful that you decided to befriend your grumpy git of a roommate. I appreciate all you’ve done. Really. You haven’t screwed anything up for me, I promise.”  
Snow looks completely shocked by my emotional outburst. He looks away from me, nervous this time, and bites his lip.   
“Uh, well,” he stammers, “good then.” He looks back at me and smiles timidly, then gets to his feet. He offers me a hand up, and I take it. I don’t let go though. Instead I pull him close to me and plant a chaste kiss on his cheek.   
Just testing the waters.   
Snow laces his fingers through mine, and we walk back to the cabin like that.   
{+}  
 _SIMON_

I wanted nothing more than to kiss Baz tonight. The bonfire was so romantic and holding him in my arms while he slept felt so right. He didn’t even seem awkward or embarrassed by it, so that’s something, right?   
I imagine Baz laying here with me now, curled back into my nook the way he was before. I think about him kissing my cheek before. His lips were so cool on my skin, and I was on fire. Does that mean it would be okay if I kissed him? He thanked me for being his friend. Friends don’t kiss, but he kissed me. Not on the lips… is that different?  
I throw my comforter to the side and crawl out of bed. Only one way to find out. I need to know what he’s thinking. 

_BAZ_  
I don’t know what I’m thinking.   
I have to kiss him though. I can’t carry on like this anymore. He didn’t object when I kissed his cheek. He even held my hand. He held me while I slept for Christ’s sakes. Surely, that means he wants this too right?  
I put my hand on the doorknob, and it swings open. I look up and gasp in surprise.   
“Fancy meeting you here,” I say, trying to act totally casual; as if it’s totally normal for me to be at his door at 3 AM.   
Snow cocks his head to the side and smiles. “Do you need something?” he asks.   
“Did you?” I counter. He’s up too, after all.   
Before I know what’s happening, Snow has hooked a hand behind the back of my neck and pulled my mouth to his in a crushing kiss. I stop thinking all together. All I can hear is Snow’s breathing and my own pulse rushing in my ears. At first the kiss is soft, but when he feels me push my fingertips into his hair, it gets more feverish. He brings the hand that isn’t on my neck to my waist and pulls my body into his.   
Oh, God. I’m kissing Simon Snow. I’m finally kissing him after all this time.  
And it’s better than I ever imagined.   
Snow smells like apples and tastes like cinnamon. I will forever associate those scents and tastes with this kiss, and I’m so thankful for that.  
Snow digs his fingernails into my back a little and I gasp into his mouth.   
“Simon,” I whisper, wrapping an arm around him and crushing him to me.   
He kisses me even more urgently and pulls me into his room, walking backwards, guiding me to his bed. We fall into it and Snow lifts himself over me, mirroring our position from earlier today. This time, I do lean up and kiss his him. I kiss him again and again. I kiss him once for every time I’ve fantasized about kissing him. It takes hours. 

_SIMON_

When I wake up, I’m so wrapped up in Baz, I’m not sure where he ends and I begin. I kissed Baz last night. A lot. I’ve never felt so happy in all my life.   
“Good morning,” Baz says, placing yet another kiss on the top of my head.   
“Good morning, darling,” I say looking up at him. He’s so beautiful, it almost hurts.   
“Are you okay?” he asks.   
I pull my head back in surprise. “Of course, I am. Literally never better. Why?”   
Baz looks out the window, and shrugs. (He must have picked that up from me.) “I thought maybe you would have remembered that you hate me by now; that you would regret last night,” he says.   
I scoff at this. “Not likely,” I say. “Baz, I’ve wanted to kiss you for a _very_ long time.”  
“You have?” he asks, looking at me again.   
“Yes. Pretty much since I met you. It’s part of the reason Agatha dumped me,” I tell him. I’ve kept this fact from him this whole time, but it’s true. Agatha knew what my obsession with Baz was all about before I did. She practically had to spell it out for me, but when she did, it all clicked for me.   
Baz rolls his eyes, “Yeah, right,” he says.   
“Don’t believe me?” I ask, and he shakes his head.   
I lean over the side of the bed and pull yesterdays jeans up onto the bed, then dig my mobile out of the pocket. I hand it to Baz.  
“Read the text from Agatha,” I tell him.   
He pulls up my messages and clicks on her name.   
**AW: I’m glad you guys are finally together. It’s good to see you happy.**  
I watch his face as he reads it. I expect him to smile, but instead his face falls.   
“Snow, I don’t know what to say,” he says.   
I scoot closer to him and put a hand on his cheek.   
“You called me Simon last night,” I tell him, then I kiss his neck.   
“Hmm, you must have misheard,” he tells me, earning a nip from me. He winces and pinches my arm.   
I laugh and curl into him, laying a hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.   
“Can we do this all day?” Baz asks me.   
“We have to participate,” I tell him. “We have to redeem ourselves. What’s today’s activity anyway?”  
“Scavenger hunt,” he says. “We’ll be in a group with the girls this time.”  
“Then let’s not keep them waiting,” I say. 

{+}  
 _BAZ_

After breakfast, Snow and I head deep into the woods to meet up with Trixie and Keris. We all received a list with five items on it (twenty all together) and were told that the team who finds all of the items first wins. (Duh.)  
My list has all of the easy things: a pinecone, a yellow leaf, a heart shaped rock, an acorn, and a Y shaped twig.  
Snows list consists of manmade things, Keris’s list is landmarks, and Trixies is all animals. We decide to take photos of each other’s lists and split up. We’ll focus on our own lists then move on to the others.  
Once I’ve found most of the things on my list, all that is left is the heart shaped rock. I decide that my best bet is to look down by the river. There are tons of rocks down there.   
When I reach the end of the slope that leads to the rocks, I see Simon. He’s standing with his back to me, looking out at the water. I know he hears me crunching on the rocks, but he doesn’t turn around. I walk up behind him, and slide my arms around his middle, pulling him close. I kiss his cheek then rest my chin on his shoulder. We stay like that for a bit in quiet. Listening to the sounds of nature, watching the water and the trees. It’s beautiful.   
Finally, Snow turns around and holds out both of his fists.   
“Pick one,” he instructs, so I tap on the left. He opens it, but there’s nothing inside. He smiles at me and opens the right.   
A heart shaped rock.  
“For you,” he says.   
“Just what I’ve always wanted,” I say, making him chuckle.   
“Baz,” he says, coming closer and taking one of my hands in both of his. “Can I have you, for _real_?”  
“You already do,” I reply.  
“I know,” he says, smiling up at me. “I just need to hear you say it.”  
“I’m yours,” I tell him. “Completely. For as long as you’ll have me.”  
I lean in to kiss him, but he pulls away.   
“I’m yours too, you know?” he asks.   
God, he’s adorable. I lean in, but again, he pulls back.   
“If you call me Simon,” he adds.   
“ _Simon_ , I’ll call you anything you want,” I say. “Just kiss me.”  
He does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading!!!
> 
> xoxo


End file.
